Our research is focused on the cellular and genetic aspects of
atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart attack
and stroke, which account for approximately 50% of all deaths and are
the leading cause of disability in the United States. Genetic studies
involving twin, siblings and families have demonstrated the
heritability of atherosclerosis, but the underlying genetic factors
remain to be identified. Current research projects involve generation
of new genetic crosses to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for
atherosclerosis and associated traits in mice, evaluation of major QTLs
for atherosclerosis by constructing congenic strains, and
identification of genes underlying the major QTLs for
atherosclerosis.